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Violence, poverty, and extreme weather conditions are key drivers behind the record number of people in the Aguán Valley, Honduras, leaving their homeland. Many take great risks to travel to the United States, where they live as undocumented immigrants.

For those who stay, rising food prices and a lack of earning opportunities make it increasingly difficult to meet basic needs. Climate change has also increased the occurrences of floods and droughts, making farmers’ lives more precarious. In addition, palm oil companies have been accused of forcefully acquiring land for plantations. There have been some 150 murders and disappearances related to these land grabs since 2008, with few cases investigated or prosecuted.

Victor Manuel Martinez Hernandez belongs to an association of farmers who farm a small stretch of land near the Aguán River. He has known great sorrow, including the murder of his son, a leader for land rights, three years ago.

While nothing can take away the pain of this loss, meeting his family’s food needs helps Victor feel more hopeful about staying in the Aguán Valley.

World Renew has been working to improve the food security and income stability in this area. Victor and other farmers have learned to diversify crops, growing watermelons, beans, and cassava, and to farm fish.

Because the area is prone to periods of drought, World Renew also helped the group establish an irrigation system so they can farm year-round. Victor explains, “We’ve opened up a well with a submersible pump so we can water crops to eat and to sell, and that is vital for us.”

Please pray for an end to the violence in the Aguán Valley.

• Please pray for good weather, good harvests, and calm conditions throughout the hurricane season across Latin America.
• Pray for wisdom, compassion, and empathy for the churches and the volunteers who are working to help the people in their communities with emotional and spiritual wounds.
• Please pray for the health of our staff and their family, especially for our program consultant in Honduras, Ramon Zuniga, who suffered a stroke on July 17th and for our bridger, also in Honduras, Rolando Pinzon, whose wife Ana had to undergo three emergency surgeries in July and is still recuperating.